Echinacea plant named ‘HILMOOOJOY’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Hilmooojoy’, characterized by its upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong and healthy roots; dark green-colored leaves; strong flowering stems; numerous large inflorescences with orange-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea purpurea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HILMOOOJOY’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea purpurea, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Hilmooojoy’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new strong and freely flowering Echinacea plants with attractive ray and disc floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2009 in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea identified as code designation T 12058 A, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands in July, 2010.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since September, 2010 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Hilmooojoy’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Hilmooojoy’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong and healthy roots.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Strong flowering stems.     -   6. Numerous large inflorescences with orange-colored ray         florets.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Echinacea differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea are more compact than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea have smaller inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea are lighter orange         in color than ray florets of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea hybrida ‘Orange273’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/756,660. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Kwakel, The Netherlands, plants of the new Echinacea differed primarily from plants of ‘Orange273’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were taller than plants of         ‘Orange273’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea were more uniform than plants of         ‘Orange273’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea had smaller inflorescences than         plants of ‘Orange273’.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea were lighter         orange in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Orange273’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Hilmooojoy’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse and “finished” in an outdoor nursery in De Kwakel, The Netherlands under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 20° C. and night temperatures ranged from 7° C. to 15° C. Plants used for the photograph and description were 20 weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea ‘Hilmooojoy’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea purpurea             identified as code designation T 12058 A, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea purpurea, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five weeks at             temperatures about 20° C. for the first two weeks, then at             temperatures about 12° C. to 14° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About six weeks at             temperatures about 20° C. for the first two weeks, then at             temperatures about 14° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 14° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; strong and             healthy; typically white to brown in color, actual color of             the roots is dependent on substrate composition, water             quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright             plant habit, narrow inverted triangle; freely branching             habit with about 21 branches developing per plant;             moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 54.4 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 35.2 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 31.9 cm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Internode length: About 3.3 cm. Aspect: Erect to about             20° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely to             moderately pubescent, strigose; rough. Color: Close to 144A             to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Basal leaves.—         -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 10.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire; moderately undulate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately pubescent,             strigose; rough.         -   Luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Slightly darker             than 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;             venation, close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 138C.         -   Petioles, basal leaves.—Length: About 4.2 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm by 3 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower surface:             Sparsely pubescent, strigose. Color, upper surface: Close to             144C; margins, close to N137B. Color, lower surface: Close             to 144B; margins, close to 137B.         -   Cauline leaves.—         -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 5.5 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Moderately pubescent,             strigose; rough.         -   Luster, upper and lower surfaces.—Matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Slightly darker             than 143A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;             venation, close to 147C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 138C.         -   Petioles, cauline leaves.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter:             About 2 mm by 2 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent, rough. Luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Matte. Color, upper surface: Close to             N137B. Color, lower surface: Close to 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Terminal rotate single-type inflorescences with             ray and disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned upright above the foliar plane on mostly upright             and strong peduncles.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 21             inflorescences per plant at one time.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet, pleasant.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about 13 to 18 weeks             after planting; in the garden, plants flower continuously             from mid-June to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2 cm. Diameter: About             2.8 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Involucral bracts,             close to 143A and 138B; ray florets, close to 29B to 29C,             towards the apex, close to 150B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 3.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 cm. Receptacle height:             About 1.2 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1 cm. Receptacle             color: Close to N155A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 19 arranged in             a single whorl at the base of the receptacle. Length: About             4.1 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:             Praemorse to deeply emarginate. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; moderately             velvety. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous. Luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Matte. Aspect: Horizontal to             drooping, about 20° from horizontal. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to N25B. When opening, lower surface:             Close to 29B; margins, close to 34B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 34C; towards the base, close to N34A; main             color becoming closer to 31A to 31B with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 31C; margins, close to N34C;             color becoming closer to N34C with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Shape: Tubular, apices acute. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 250. Texture, inner and outer surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster, inner and outer surfaces: Glossy.             Color, immature, inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to             143A. Mid-section and base: Close to 145B. Color, mature,             inner and outer surfaces: Apex: Close to 146A tinged with             close to 178B. Mid-section and base: Close to 143A to 143B.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Shape:             Acicular. Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Luster: Glossy. Color: Apex: Close to             between 53A and 203A. Mid-section: Close to 143A. Base:             Close to 144B.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 48             arranged in about four whorls. Length: About 1 cm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Mostly glabrous; margins, sparsely             to moderately pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 143A             to 143B. Color, lower surface: Close to 143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 12.6 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Sparsely             pubescent, strigose. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: About five. Filament length:             About 5 mm. Filament color: Close to 145D. Anther shape:             Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About 2.5 mm. Anther color:             Close to 200A to 200B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color:             Close to 17A. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets):             Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Decurrent, unequal. Stigma color: Close to 183A.             Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 145B. Ovary             color: Close to 145D. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit             development have not been observed on plants of the new             Echinacea. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new     Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 4. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Hilmooojoy’ as illustrated and described. 